Tuesday, October 16, 2012

If Momma Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy

For years I have wondered if David Austin was happy.  Successful?  Definitely.  Handsome?  Clearly.  Cordial?  Surely.  Commanding?  Probably.  But happy?  I wondered.

That saying "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" kept running through my head.  Basically, it means that if the woman of the household isn't happy, then she will (either obviously or covertly) make the other family members miserable.  I wondered if David Austin was miserable.

Why?

Well, because of Pat.  Pat Austin is David Austin's wife.  Pat Austin is also a rose.  A rose bred by David Austin and named for his wife.

Pat Austin

Naming a rose after your wife would surely make for some moments of marital bliss!  Still, I wondered.

I know absolutely nothing of Pat Austin, the person, except for that one simple fact.  She is David Austin's wife.  But, I wonder if there are clues in the description of her rose on the David Austin website:

  • Short climber (actually, in my garden, she's still a short bush)
  • Strong fragrance
  • Bright color
  • Tea-scented with a warm sensuous background
  • Deeply cupped flowers (I'll let your imagination run with this!)  ;)
She grows in zones 5 through 10.


Her description sounds lovely.  But for years she wasn't very lovely in my garden.  Maybe it's just American soil, or the fact that mine is own-root, but in my garden, and in some others I have heard about, she has been a source of complaint.  

And with such a poor rose named after her, I wondered if she was happy with this particular rose bearing her name.  And if she wasn't happy....  well, you know the saying!


But I shouldn't have doubted.  I should have trusted.  David Austin surely knew what he was doing.  He wouldn't have named a poor performing rose after his wife!  And, he didn't.  Because now that Pat Austin (the rose) has finally grown to maturity, she is outstanding.  Yes, her blooms still nod (maybe hinting at a trait of shyness?), but they now nod on stems that are strong.  Years ago their blooms dropped face-first into the mud.  But now she is the delight of my garden.  She is utterly charming.


She has a unique but beautiful color.  An orange, but not a neon orange.  Copper is the word used to describe it.  And it's a good word.  Like copper, sometimes her patina has a slightly pink undertone.  Sometimes the undertones are more yellow, and yet she mixes well with other soft-colored roses.  I think in real life, she must be a gracious hostess.

I am so glad I didn't get rid of Pat Austin prematurely.  She is a rose that needs a bit of time to fulfill your expectations.  She can't be rushed.  She must be nurtured, pampered, and attended.  But treating her gently will reward you greatly. 
 
bush shot

I now know that David Austin must be a happy man.  I now understand why he would name this rose after his wife.  It is a remarkable rose, if you will only give it a bit of time.  She will never be the star of the garden.  She doesn't stand out.  Yet, she is a gentle and lovely addition.  Her softness is her strength.  She has that one particular quality that is uniquely rare and underrated: she elevates the garden with her presence.  


Yes, I'd say momma is happy.  Well done, Mr. Austin.

44 comments:

  1. Pat Austin is a lovely rose, I can see from your photos and words and I like the copper color and its "shy" habit. Yep, momma Austin can be well pleased.

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    1. I love its color, too. A bit unusual - a little darker than peach, a little more subdued than orange. It's lovely.

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  2. What a lovely tribute to Pat and the rose named after her!

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    1. Wouldn't it be fun to have a plant named after you?! :)

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  3. Holley, your rose Pat is as a swan baby in the tale. Nobody knew that this baby is in swan family. And when he's grown up all animals recognized him as a swan. Because he needed a bit of time to fulfill the expectations, as you say. Your rose is a beautiful swan, very nice!

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    1. I love how you put this. You are exactly right - an ugly duckling grown into a beautiful swan!

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  4. I would call it's colour "peachy".
    What a lovely description of the rose and its namesake.

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    1. Yes, it is a bit peachy. It is darker with cooler weather here, although I like it either way. It's interesting to see the many undertones in this rose, too. Maybe that's why it works so well with other colors.

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  5. Really pretty Rose. He apparently picked a good one for her.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. It would be interesting to know how he chooses the names for his roses.

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  6. I love this post. And I love your wonder about Pat Austin, the rose.

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    1. I always wonder about the people named for the roses I grow. I hope they are all happy with the roses named after them. It would be a tragedy to have a rose named for you, then it turn out to be a dud!

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  7. Hi,

    Beautiful photos! I'm glad to hear Pat has perkec up in maturity; I have Harlow Carr which seems to be suffering exactly the same, and I often find her face down in the soil. But I'm hopeful as she ages her branches will grow stronger.

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    1. Don't give up on Harlow Carr! I think a lot of these roses start out very thin stemmed. I suspect, and hope, with age your Harlow Carr will become stronger, and who knows? She may become one of your favorites!

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  8. Pat is awesome! David knew his wife and roses...

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    1. So true! I bet those are the two things he knows the best!

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  9. Cute post. I didn't know he named that after his wife. Like em even more now. I read recently they are coming out with a few new ones- can't wait. Great photos!!!

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    1. It's always exciting to see the new roses that come out. There are always one or two that make my heart swoon!

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  10. I like that subtle range of colours across the petals, and the shape - I dislike the petals that furl into a 'classic star' shape.

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    1. This one really does have a nice shape, doesn't she? Not too tight, not too loose, just the perfect amount of billow and curl.

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  11. Gorgeous rose! I am glad you were patient with her, even as Mr. Austin occasionally had to be with his wife, if theirs was a normal marriage! The color is especially attractive, and I also like the plant's growth habit.

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    1. I do love the color. She was originally placed in my bed with mostly orange-y roses, but then moved to where there are more pastels. I think she looks much better in the bed with the pastels. She shines a little more brightly here.

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  12. I wonder how many roses he considered before picking this one as his wife's namesake? There are so many gorgeous ones he could have picked too.

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    1. That is a great question! I would love to know the answer, too!

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  13. I loved this post Holley. Your writing is always so superb. I bet Peach was Pat's favourite color and the rose that bears her name is very pretty indeed.

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    1. Peach is my favorite color, too, so maybe that's another reason I love this rose as much as I do. I have wondered if he thought this rose symbolized her personality in some way.

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  14. She's definitely not a star, but then do we really want to crowd our gardens with stars? Sometimes, surely, we need something calm and relaxing - soothing, almost - that can simply be, rather than try to overshadow the neighbours. She looks comfortable in her own skin, and I think I'd rather like to have tea with Mrs. Austin after your description; she sounds a bit like my grandmother. (And that's no small praise...)

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    1. You know, I think you're right. I think Mrs. Austin is the sort of person that you could have tea with and feel very comfortable doing so. That is wonderful quality to have.

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  15. Lovely post, you are a very good writer. I also have the rose Pat Austin for the first year and indeed the flowers are nodding to the mud and the stems rather weak. But you give me confidence, she will survive, grow and give lots of flowers in the future. Do you know Mrs. Pat Austin was a sculptor. All the beautiful sculptures in their rosegarden in Albrighton, she made herself. I was there in May and enjoyed it very much. I made a blogpost about it in June I think.

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    1. I was so disappointed when my rose was new and it was blooming in the mud! Almost like a baby, it took it a couple of years to learn to stand! Thanks for the additional information about Mrs. Austin. I will have to check out that post. I would love to see the sculptures she made for their rose garden.

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  16. What a wonderful tribute, not only to Mr. and Mrs. Austin, but to so many women I know; so easy to overlook or discard, but given the time and a second look, they elevate us all with their presence.

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    1. Yes, some people are quietly charming, as you say often overlooked, but greatly missed when they're not around.

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  17. Such a beautiful rose. All of our Austins have taken time to settle into the garden before producing the blooms I had hoped for and it has been well worth the wait! Thanks for sharing this rose with us.....

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    1. I think you are right that we must be patient with some of the Austins. Being patient is such a hard lesson to learn sometimes!

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  18. I actually like the nodding (are proper roses not supposed to nod?), and it's a wonderful color.

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    1. I love the nodding roses, but I think it is a personal preference. I think it irritates a lot of people! I do love the color of this rose. A beautiful shade of orange/peach/copper - whatever it is!

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  19. A beautiful colored rose and an interesting perspective.

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    1. I've often wondered if the people roses are named after are truly happy with their rose, or if their taste change later on, or if they have to spray theirs to grow it properly, or if they even grow roses! I know, my mind wanders too much!

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  20. Pat is beautiful, especially in your lovely garden!

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    1. She really is a pretty rose. Where she is placed now, with a lot of pastel roses, she really shines!

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  21. What a stunning rose..I love the color and form...perfection!

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    1. I was drawn to this rose's color first, but I love its many petals, and I even love how it nods. I do wish it would grow a little taller so I could see the blooms without having to bend down so low!

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  22. I love her coloring... so perfect for combining with other plants. Glad I say this post! Thanks, Holley.

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    1. It really is a nice color to use with other plants. It brightens up the area. :)

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